Sanctuary
by Eros the Summoner
Summary: They were separated as children and ordered to forget each other. Sometimes though, even Artisans of War forget to remember to forget. Reunited and unsure of what to do about it, a short story of Pantheon and Leona's past and how it influences their future. There is no action genre button but the first chapter is less romance, more people dying. T for swears and sexual references.
1. Warfare

**Ahem* um... Hi. Yeah, long time no see... So I started a Nautilus and Nami thing, I hated how it came out, then tried to do a second Rule 34 thing, hated how it came out, I just don't like a lot of the stuff I made these past months, and, believe it or not, Colorado's D20 is still in school, so that's a thing. This was something I finally liked, and I'm proud to present it to you all and I really hope you like it. I have a long ass Fiora and Talon story coming, so if you like that long stuff... Yeah, that'll be here at some point in my life time... Hopefully.**

It was a dark night on the mountain of Targon, the sun had long since fallen behind the mountain and the night sky let the light of the stars shine through like millions of gazing eyes watching as the lives of two children were forever changed. "Do you have to go?" He asked her with down cast eyes. It was the saddest she had ever seen him. Her pack was filled with everything she would need, and her parents had agreed to send her away, they almost seemed eager to and for everyone else, she was already gone. Except for him.

"It's either go with the Solari or die, you saw those executioners… They were very eager to kill me"

"Why didn't you fight? I know you can, you could be the best fighter on the entire mountain!" He pleaded with her.

"The true measure of a warrior is to know when not to fight." Pantheon looked at his feet. "Never forget that okay? You're not a barbarian, you're an honorable soldier. A Rakkor Warrior."

"Okay" he looked back to his friend.

"Pantheon?" Leona asked before she was taken to the Solari order. "I would be honored to be your Solroc"

"I…" His mouth began formulating words at lightning speed, but no words came out.

"Leona, we must depart. Now." A Solari soldier called into the room.

"I have to go… Promise me you will always be a true warrior" She pleaded with him with a set of sad eyes that made his knees weak. In response, Pantheon practically lunged at her and captured her lips, Leona was concerned if the Solari would disapprove, but the next instant, she did not care, it had been a long time coming.

"I'll always fight for you." He promised her as she was torn away from him.

Leona took another step through the jungle, her armored boots created minimal sound in the murky jungle floor, but that didn't stop her from being timid. She never let her guard drop, she knew him too well. Given, part of him was being influenced by a summoner, but he was still Pantheon, and she still had to keep her guard up. "Evade." She felt her summoner whisper in her mind. She glanced up and sure enough, Pantheon was hurdling down from his ultimate at breath taking speeds. He collided with earth shattering force and felt her speed and strength weaken as the shockwaves rolled over her. She heard his sandal step toward her and she gripped her shield a tad tighter.

A barrage of spear thrusts came next, she knew his attack and knew there was no way to counter these strikes, so she hid behind her shield and waited. A particularly large spear thrust knocked against her shield and sent her flying across the shallow waters. Part of her wanted to back down, but the majority pushed back. Leona lifted her shield and ran with it right at Pantheon, pushing him back so she could assume an aggressive stance. Her shield further to the side and sword upright and pointed at Pantheon, she waited for him to make a move, as did he. They stood, facing each other minutes on end, gripping their weapons tight and their shields tighter. With absolutely nothing to set them off, they simultaneously charged and their metal clashed.

Pantheon sent his spear at her heart, rather than block it outright, Leona flung her shield to swat the spear tip to the side; causing Pantheon to lost his balance. However, He didn't even stumble, he felt his step fall for a second before falling onto his shield and rolling out of Leona's reach and standing once again. Leona struck first this time, bringing her sword crashing down onto Pantheon, he lifted his shield too slowly and she left a gash running across his face. The first blood drawn, Pantheon carelessly wiped the blood out of his face and ran at Leona again. She readied her shield again, waiting for a blow but didn't feel the force she was expected. Pantheon had dived past her shield and launched his spear directly at her back. She saw it coming, but it seemed impossible to stop. She felt the cold steel pierce her back and she dropped to one knee. She was dying, but she wasn't dead. Leona launched her Zenith Blade at the victorious Pantheon and brought herself next to him. Without his spear, he was weaponless and she shoved her blade deep into his chest.

"An Enemy has Been Slain." A voice rang over the rift. Leona smiled to herself a little before collapsing into a pool of the sun's rays. "An Ally has been Slain."

….

"Yeah…" Leona could hear the drowsiness in his voice and only just noticed the slow motions her hand had been making on his shoulder. It only took a few moments before Pantheon had fallen asleep in her arms, next to the cool waters; the scene was so peaceful it would be easy just to rest. She laid Pantheon and herself down on the grass floor and closed her eyes. A brief exhale and Leona let herself drift into sleep.

…

Leona could feel breathe of life return to her as she spawned once again at the nexus, no one else was around. She placed her hand against her forehead to reexamine what she had just saw… A repressed memory it seemed? Her team was fairing far better than Pantheon's. They had already taken down three towers, two of which were in the mid lane. With the kill she picked up with Pantheon, she had enough to purchase the Iron Solari and began her trek back to the bottom lane. Squaring off against them was Jinx and Lulu, both delightfully mad in their own right. The back and forth farming of minions and kills continued for a few minutes until Leona noticed her ward had been tripped. She looked over to Varus, his summoner seemed too distracted by the minions to notice. "Varus" She called across the field. "We have to pull out" her tone had fear in it, but no one but her knew what a fearful Leona sounded like. "Varus. Contact your summoner. Request we abandon this lane before it's too late."

"I'm trying, he is not responding." Varus responded, Jinx and Lulu were almost back from their recall. The gank would no doubt commence as soon as they got back to their lane.

"Have you lost connection?"

"No, I am receiving the order to continue shredding minions… I believe this summoner is an idiot."

"A common occurrence," Leona muttered to the archer. Jinx's blue hair could be seen across the minion wave and Lulu's hat just to her right, Leona looked to the bush, she could see Pantheon's spear head protruding through the grass. "Disregard the summoner" Leona's voice was calm and powerful, despite the nerves tensing inside her.

"I planned to, dying is more painful than summoners seem to realize…" As soon as Varus said the words, Jinx's rockets came hurdling down lane, and Pantheon leaped from his hiding place into the air. Varus skillfully rolled to the ground, releasing an arrow mid roll and aiming it at Pantheon the as he was still in the air. Varus fired, but in his haste to both dodge Jinx's attack and fire at Pantheon, he missed Pantheon's neck by a quarter of an inch. Pantheon's spear came crashing down on Varus but his attack was interrupted by Leona's shield.

"Take the other two!" Leona ordered Varus and she flung Pantheon's spear away with her shield. Varus did as he was told and aimed an arrow at Jinx's heart as Leona continued to battle Pantheon. He slammed his shield into hers and pushed her back into the middle of bottom lane. He pushed against her shield until in one flick he broke her guard, sending her shield out of her hand. Pantheon followed up with a swift jab at her gut, giving only Leona a fraction of a second to raise her sword in defense, and the spear's shaft slid past the blade's steel. Leona lifted her steel boot and kicked Pantheon's shield while his balance was shifted onto his spear and sent him back. With his balanced lost, she thrust her sword into his chest and felt the resistance of his flesh.

"Hugify!" Lulu cried and the blade that was once stuck in Pantheon's chest was not a mere thorn in his side, in retaliation, Varus fired a perfect shot through Lulu's head.

"An enemy has been slain." That didn't change the fact there was a giant Pantheon now roaming about though.

With his new found height, Pantheon picked up the weakened Leona and flung her across the lane and watched as her spine shattered against a tree from the sheer force of his throw. "An ally has been slain." Pantheon wasted no time finding Varus. "Double kill" Shortly followed.

…..

Leona and Pantheon sat on the stream's edge, as they let the stream's waters run over their feet. She delicately wiped some wet fabric over the swollen wound. She had seen worse on him, but it was a more severe one. "You Troll brat…" She mused as the last of the blood ran off his face.

…

Leona looked up at the clock now, "62:12" this battle felt as if it carried on for years, neither team willing to back down. Kills were nearly even, her team had slain the dragon one more time than the other, but that was perhaps the only difference between the teams.

"My summoner has given me instructions." Singed, their top, reported. "We are going to take Baron."

"That's idiotic," Varus spoke up. "Our inhibitor turret is next to destroyed, a Baron would only leave our Nexus exposed."

"That's crap!" Fizz, the mid lane, cried to the archer. "I'm not sitting here and dying! We take Baron now!"

"Let us move quickly then, before our enemy has similar plans." Leona added.

"Has your Baron ward been tripped?" Elise, their jungle, asked.

"Not yet, but who's to say they are not on their way? They're not showing on my map."

"Quickly then! We can win this." Fizz cheered.

The five member team made haste to the monster's lair. Her ward had still not been tripped, but Leona felt this would go badly. Fizz was at their head, charging with his trident raised proudly with Elise shortly behind her. The team went through the jungle rather than middle lane, and filtered into the swamps in between lanes.

Baron Nashor, the terrible boss, could be seen above the tree line. Its mouth dripped with acid, all seven of them and its bone chilling roars could be heard all across the battlefield. Each of the team was well beyond their full build and perhaps the buff would be enough to win the game for them. As far as Leona knew, this battle had no political implications, just summoners hell bent on winning.

"Still no sign of the other team…" Leona reported though it seemed none of her team paid any attention to her.

Just as Fizz entered the boss's lair, the sound of a rocket, firing from its cannon, rang out and Fizz hiked up on his trident to narrowly avoid its blast damage. The team looked to where it came from, and it seemed the blue team had a similar idea and had gathered at the Baron to finish the fight. The ten of them squared off each of their opponents in lane, ready to kill. The game winning fight was now. Singed stood opposite Garen in top lane, Fizz stared down Malzahar, Elise devilishly smiled at Pantheon, Varus and Leona patiently waited for Jinx and Lulu to make a move.

"Fuck this silence!" Jinx cried out and set up her super mega death rocket and launched into the purple team. An all out team fight broke out right there, as Varus and Leona dodged the rocket and retaliated fire. Fizz narrowly avoided each of Malzahar's attacks before diving with his trident and landing a nice hit, before having a Voidling attach itself to his face. Pantheon guarded and fought off each of Elise's spider strikes and kicked away each of her spiderlings before they could explode.

Then, Lulu sent Garen into a wild growth, letting him grow twice the size of Singed. However, that didn't stop Singed from placing his shield under the newly massive Garen throwing him over his shoulder, right in Baron Nashor. The boss took out a sizable portion of Garen's health, but the more important part of this is, it provoked Baron into joining in on the team fight.

Acid began spewing from the ground in massive bursts, like geysers of corrosion. Baron started to devour any champ who got close, starting with Garen and Singed. "Executed." The woman's voice rang out, displaying icons for both the champions.

Amidst the chaos that Baron had ensued, Pantheon was able to squash Elise, and Varus was able to take down Jinx, only to be Glitter lance by Lulu, taking away the little health he had left before Leona struck the Fae Sorceress down and Malzahar was not able to best Fizz, as the Trickster's ultimate swallowed the wizard whole.

Pantheon steadily watched as Fizz dance around him, acid rain falling from the sky and Baron's roars bursting through the air. Pantheon stabbed and Fizz was gone in the next instant. He began watching again, some acrobatics, a quick glide and then Fizz dove with his trident aimed at Pantheon's heart. With unbelievable speed, Pantheon caught Fizz's trident in the middle of its attack, and lifted the Trickster to his face. Fizz only offered a mocking tongue and spat at Pantheon before he was hurdled into one of the Baron's mouths. "An Ally has been slain."

Pantheon looked up from his last kill, he didn't see Leona anywhere and that worried him. He still had a fair amount of health left, but he didn't know if he had enough to slay what was left of Baron.

"Pantheon." Leona called, as she stepped out her hiding place among the bushes. "First to Kill?"

"First to Glory." Pantheon repeated the words from when they trained as children. They stood apart from each other, Leona with a confident grin, which Pantheon no doubt mirrored, it was simply hard to tell under his helmet.

"Go." They breathed simultaneously and broke out towards the creature. Pantheon leaped towards Baron, driving his spear into its hide and letting his weight slide himself down its flesh, making the wound wider. Leona let loose a Zenith blade and found herself on top of the Baron's smaller heads. With force and precision, she drove her blade in its skull before the boss flung her off its person.

Leona landed with an "oomph" and she looked over to a tired Pantheon. "Giving up?"

"Never," He labored in a breath. "My health is too low to have a lengthy battle with this creature."

"I suppose my team will just get the buff then." She urged him on which Pantheon grumbled in response to. "One more attack. That's all we need to kill it."

"Very well…" Pantheon studied the monster for a moment before releasing his spear into a high point on the monster. With an enormous jump, Pantheon leaped to his spear, he held onto it for a moment before removing it, and quickly stabbing the beast in a high place. He was scaling the monster, like a rock mountain; only, he was using its many skin blemishes as rocks. Pantheon had almost reached the top of the creature when his hand slipped and he dangled with his one hand on his spear. With all his might, Pantheon pulled himself up and was able to stand on his spear for a brief moment before he jumped onto the creature's neck and ran to its head.

"Not bad…" Leona said from the ground. Determined that she could accomplish any challenge Pantheon set forth, she unlatched the iron sun dress, revealing her chain mail leggings and solar boots and Zenith bladed up the creature. She was a little below where Pantheon was, but that did not stop her from climbing, she was faster than him anyway and within a minute she too had scaled the beast. She ran to where Pantheon had run to find him struggling to keep his balance on the constantly moving Baron. Which, she had to admit was a challenge for her as well.

"I seem to have lost my weapon," Pantheon faced her.

"That's funny," She placed her sword on her shoulder. "I still have mine."

"Too bad you lost your armor."

"A necessary sacrifice" Leona threw her sword into the Baron's flesh."Come, take your prize" She lowered herself into a hand to hand combat stance. Pantheon did the same and removed his cape. As the fabric blew away amidst the Baron's poisonous breath, the two Rakkor readied to finish their ongoing duel.

…

"Stop treating me like I'm a child." He said a tad more forcefully. "I am fine. Let's keep moving." He pushed past her. Leona wanted to say something, but she had no idea why her friend was acting so strange. A few more minutes of walking and they were rewarded with a shallow, wide, river. It ran through the middle of the woods. The rock bed below it was full of only smooth stone and the water was clear enough to see the occasional small fish zip through the waters.

….

Leona charged at him this time, it was difficult to run on the Baron's slimy skin, but doable and she lunged at Pantheon with a kick to his head. Pantheon blocked her attack with his arm and set a fist directed at her only to watch as Leona ducked into a low sweep and sent Pantheon's feet out from under him. He fell onto the slimy ground and Leona climbed on top of him, sending a barrage of her iron fists his way. Pantheon kept his guard up, but he could still feel his bones shaking with each punch. Leona pulled back all her strength and sent one final punch, only, as soon as it made contact, Pantheon was able to get his foot out from under Leona and launch her off of him.

"I was always better than you at hand to hand." Pantheon called over.

"Let's see if you can keep that title." Leona got up from the floor and taunted Pantheon with her fingers. The Artesian of War let out a hefty battle cry and charged at The Radiant Dawn. Instead of fighting it, Pantheon halted his steps and glided across the Baron's slime, Leona watched his raised fist a tad too long and didn't see the sucker punch he had actually planned. He socked her hard in the gut, and was forced to bend over as she caught her breath. Pantheon followed up by slamming his combine fists into her back and forcing her onto the floor. Finally, he picked her up in both arms and held her above his head. Acid Rain swelled in the background and the Baron could be heard, fearing for its life.

"Wait, Pantheon," Leona said, bloodied by his quick punches. "There's something I never told you."

"Save it." Pantheon called and threw her off the Baron's head. As she fell through the acid rain and dying Baron's blood, Pantheon felt a victorious grin spread across his face.

"I'm AP." She whispered mid flight.

"WHAT!?" Pantheon looked at her in horror before looking to the sky. Sunlight began to calm the storm of acid and from the light came a solar flare. That beam would no doubt kill it before Leona had fallen to her death, so Pantheon ran to the sword Leona had planted in the Baron and lifted it to kill the beast.

Singed felt life return to him. A seventy second respond time was something he could happily do without. Soon, Fizz, Elise and Varus all made their returns, but there was no sign of Leona. "An ally has been slain." The voice rang out.

"Are we cooked?" Fizz asked with a dropped jaw.

"An enemy has been slain." The voice came again. Both teams held their breath until… Varus watched as Baron Buff surrounded him.

"She did it!" Fizz cheered.

"Then there is no time to lose." Singed ordered and the team broke out into a well organized machine, traveling down midlane.


	2. Simple Days

Leona unhooked the armor that kept her breast plate attached and threw it off her body. As much as she appreciated its protection, it was tedious to put it on and take off every day. She didn't quite understand the need for female and male separate armories, the women of the Rakkor spared completely bare with both women and men, no one seemed to mind. However Valoran had its own customs and she would abide by them. She finished removing all her armor and carelessly pulled the League's standard wear over herself. It was an incredibly honor to wear such clothing. To stand in the ring and show the world her strength and the might of the sun; and she had an excuse to reunite with her childhood friend.

"It happened again…" Leona scolded herself. For the past months, she had seen it again. She had seen the place she swore to the Solari to forget about but she never did, she never could. Sometimes she wondered if he thought about it as well, but it was fair to say he didn't. He never showed any signs of remembering and neither one of them ever mentioned it in discussions, but she almost never stopped thinking about it.

She was last in the armory, she always was, and pushed the heavy door open to exit. Today was a good day, the sun was out, there was no breeze, it reminded her or home. Then her good mood was dampened for sitting outside, was Sivir, in all her lavish glory.

"Battle Mistress." Leona addressed her formally. Personally she hated the woman. The way she lived life so carelessly and for nothing but money, her life held no substance; at least in Leona's opinion. She stood for nothing honorable, and yet people cheered her on. "Can I be of assistance to you?" She hated her, but Rakkor have codes for treating individuals off the battle field.

"You can actually," She didn't grin, as if speaking to Leona was a chore. "Tell me about Pantheon"

"Excuse me?"

"Pantheon, the report on you says you know him?"

"Since we were infants."

"Tell me about him."

"I will not speak a word until you give me a reason to." Sivir blew a hair out of her eyes in frustration.

"How long have I been at this Institute?"

"Ten years if I recall."

"Do you know how many men know how to handle a woman in bed? Few, and the few that do usually die. Or become faithful to their wives… The morons."

"Loyalty is not a short coming, neither is dying in battle." Leona lectured. "What does this have to do with Pantheon?"

"Thought I'd proposition him to spend a night with me" The very idea of it sickened Leona, part of her wanted to laugh, the other part wanted to hurl and a third part of her wanted to be upset, but she tried to hide that part as best she could.

"Why in the sun's holy name would you bring this to me?"

"How is he?"

"I don't follow"

"In bed" Sivir said as if Leona was an idiot. "How well does he handle a woman?"

"How would I know?"

"You've slept together, correct? In all the time you've known him you must have had some adventures in the bedroom"

"Of course not!" Leona raised her voice to that of a young girl. "Rakkor only conceive to have offspring. The act of doing it for pleasure alone is looked down upon. It is an act done by children who cannot master their own body and hormones."

"Touchy touchy," Sivir laughed. "So what you're saying is, he's a virgin."

Leona did not respond to this, rather, she stormed off towards the mess hall where she could find solace.

"It's like you're twelve!" Sivir kept uncontrollably laughing. Leona was greatly upset at this point, but didn't think it was worth it to ask further question on a topic that Rakkor should never discuss while there was fighting to be done.

Leona left the still laughing Sivir towards the main hall of the institute. Her battle had been an earlier one and food was a luxury she had not felt today. She entered the mess hall, as always, some champions lingered here to chat and spend the little free time they had but it was relatively empty right now. Even the chefs had gone and there was only cold food available, it was not her favorite, but she was a soldier. If the taste of food mattered, she'd have chosen an easier life. She unenthusiastically picked up a plate and brought it to a lonesome table, staring at the food for a good ten minutes, just to make sure it didn't move or grow a face. Once in awhile she would poke it with her utensil but that was the extent of it. Then, a plate was placed in front of her, with the meal that seemed fit for a king. Wonderfully sliced animal flesh, cooked and hot, freshly steamed vegetables and, some of the most flawlessly baked bread one could imagine. Leona looked up to her dining companion to see Pantheon's unsheathed face.

"Where in all of Valoran did you get that?" She frustratedly asked looking at her own food.

"I won it in a contest of strength, wit and speed."

"What?"

"I won it in a game of dice." Pantheon took his seat, she felt like he was lying, he never had the best of luck, but she didn't feel the need to bring it up."Well fought today." He raised a glass to her.

"Well fought indeed." Leona toasted him. "Looks like that is eighty nine victories against you for me, only seventeen behind you now" She smiled.

"Had I known you built attack power damage…" Pantheon cursed with a smile. "I may not have gone so easy on you."

"You? Easy on me? I struck you down almost as many times as you slew me."

"Almost." Pantheon repeated taking a sip from his glass. In response, Leona pushed his glass upwards as he drank, which caused the water to spill down his face and onto his tunic. "Aw… You harlot…"

"I try." She smiled and he returned the emotion, to the limited extent of emotion Rakkor even show.

"They're like children…" Sivir spoke to Nasus. "Look at them, it's as if their children wearing adult armor!"

"This bothers you?" Nasus spoke calmly as he sipped his slop.

"Why do they act that way? They are some of the greatest fighters in the League and act like small children around each other, I just think its selfish she keeps all that muscle for herself"

"You must understand something about the Rakkor." Nasus stopped slurping his soup. "They train their children to be killing machines from birth. They are not given a choice like in Noxus, though that choice is limited there as well. They are warriors through and through, but Pantheon and Leona formed something very few did in the midst of training. A friendship. All Rakkor are comrades in arms, but it rare to have a true friend. When Leona was taken away by the warriors of the sun, so too was taken the part of Pantheon that wanted to play and laugh. He became the perfect warrior and she the perfect sun acolyte. Now, reunited, the part of them that used to run around on the mountain tops and throw rocks for the fun of it, rears its head again. Around each other, they are children once again, because that is the environment they provide for each other, around others… They are the cold warriors they were trained to be." Nasus concluded, sipping his slop once again. Sivir just stared at him for a moment before finding her words.

"How in hell do you know that?"

"Human beings are incredibly easy to understand if you simply watch." Sivir went back to watching the two, Leona had just thrown her slop into Pantheon's face and laughed as it dripped down onto the table. "Sivir." Nasus spoke again.. "Do not meddle with their chemistry. They're not like you. They are a different species of human."

"Shut up Nasus…" She snapped.

"I ran into Sivir on my here" Leona spoke from their laughter.

"Did you?" Pantheon had begun wiping the mess off of himself "I fully expect her to now have less teeth than previously."

"I did have thoughts, but no such action had occurred" She stopped and waited for him to respond. "Regardless, I believe she was looking for intercourse from you" Pantheon still didn't seem to answer and continue cleaning off the plate Leona had thrown at him. "What do you… Think of that?"

"I believe Sivir is a warrior unworthy of my respect for her lack of devotion."

"Yes I agree, but… What about the act or… such a thing?" Pantheon was beginning to see where she was steering the conversation.

"…" Pantheon's face was stalwart and unmoving, but he was trying to formulate words. "Rakkor should… Only perform such an act with their Solroc"

"Yes… They should…" Leona could see he had was trying to dodge her questions and, a tad frustrated with her friend, she simply left him be. Pantheon sat alone in the mess hall, more or less looking at his food and feeling the cold sting of regret run through his veins.

"One. Two. Three." Pantheon repeated and he followed through by moving his sword in time. It was late now, the sun was still up but it would not be in a few minutes. He had been training for four hours on end, and he could not get his sword movements to the way he needed them to be. He gripped his wooded sword and aimed it at the dummy. "ONETWOTHREE!" He said lighting fast and hit the dummy in a seamless motion of hitting its leg, then arm pit and finishing with a blow to the neck. But it wasn't perfect. Frustrated with himself, Pantheon got back into position. "One." He made the blow to the knee. "Two," to the arm pit. "Three" and to the neck.

…..

"Oh Gods!" Pantheon's feet slipped out from under him a few times before he struggled to get up and rush over to his friend. He propped her back against the hillside, and made sure she was breathing. She was, but her arm was twisted, her elbow seemed to no longer function and her arm just hung loose. "Leona? Oh Gods, please be okay…"

….

Pantheon froze in the middle of his motions to focus on the memory that just flashed before his eyes. It was not something he thought about recently, but he still remembered that day. He should, by every code of the Rakkor, he should forget their time together, but he still remembered that day.

"Is it perfect yet?" Leona's soft voice came from behind him.

"No… The second blow is too slow, a worthy opponent would have moved by the time my blade reaches the arm."

"You shall master it. You always do." She offered the small sincere smile.

"Artisan of War is a title not worn by many." He turned to face her.

"None deserve it more than you." Leona looked down for a moment, which Pantheon instantly noticed and raised an eyebrow to her.

"Something troubles you?"

"I believe so. I am bashful none the less."

"You shall always have my ear. What comes my friend?"

"I…" Leona tried. "Does it ever occur to you that…?"

"It sounds as if Nidalee has nabbed your tongue" Pantheon mocked his friend. "Speak your mind, you are my shield sister and I will not think any less of you for a foolish question."

She looked at him with a new set of sad eyes that seemed somehow familiar. Like he had seen them before,"Do you remember our Sanctuary?" Pantheon's eyes widened for a moment, he had no idea she remembered as well. "Because I do and I do not enjoy pretending I do not" For a long moment, neither said anything, it was a memory they both worked very hard to forget.


	3. Memories

"Pantheon Stop!" A young Leona cried to her friend. "Or at least slow down!"

"I saw it right over here, I know you'll love it!" He hopped over a rocks of Mount Targon were easy obstacles for two Rakkor children to overcome. The air was cold, but it always was, the sky was cloudy, but it always was. It was an average day to young children Pantheon and Leona. Pantheon hoped over another rock and Leona followed a few seconds behind her friend. "Come on! Hurry up Leona!"

"You know you're faster than me you little brat!" She called. Pantheon kept running around the craggy surface of the mountain until a large cave came into sight and he ducked behind some rocks. Leona came up behind him and ducked with him, trying to see what he why her friend had brought her here. "Why are we here?"

"I think it's gone…" Pantheon surveyed the area. "Come on!" He ran out from the rocks and continued onward. He led her into the cave, where winds seemed to cease and the atmosphere was one of death. It was dark, but not pitch black, getting darker and darker as the two went on.

"Pantheon, where are we going? Can't you just tell me?"

"No!" He whispered as loudly as he could. "That's why it's a secret!"

"Can I have a hint?"

"Nope."

"I hate you…"

"Hate you too" She couldn't see it, but she could practically hear the cocky smile he was wearing. They traveled in the dark for good while. Leona holding onto the training armor Pantheon currently adorned and struggling to not trip on any of the unseen ground. They walked for what seemed to Leona to be hours, but in reality was only a few short minutes before light started showing again. Her eyes started to pick up on all the little rocks and crags she had been tripping on and Pantheon's figure began to reappear. The light grew and grew until the entirety of Leona's vision had been completely restored. "It's just ahead" Pantheon became eager again and started to run.

"Pantheon no!" Her hand slipped out of his garments and began to chase after her friend. "Pantheon I swear if…" She rounded the corner after him, but the view that greeted her was far beyond anything she was expecting.

"I knew you'd say that" Pantheon said in response to her gapping jaw. The scene in front of her was one she never expected to find in a cave. Grass, trees, fields, flowers, it was literal sanctuary for creatures of the mountain. At the top was a gaping sky light, big enough to let the sun's life giving rays in, but wind seemed to pass right over the opening. Deer could be openly seen alongside mountain goats, butterflies and moths carelessly flew about, the whole area had a mystical vibe to it. Like this was a holy place, where only a select few could see let alone walk among its beauty.

"Pantheon… What is this?" Leona asked, her mouth still ajar.

"It's… Well, I have no idea if there's a word for it, but it is beautiful."

"It is indeed."

"Maybe you could ask it for advice." Pantheon smirked, referring to Leona's own appearance.

"Why do you ruin every moment we have together? How about, we just enjoy the view." Leona sat on the rocky ledge that they stood on, overlooking the sanctuary and patted the spot next to her for Pantheon to join her.

"Alright…" Pantheon took a seat next to her and let his legs dangle over the ledge. "It is a beautiful sight though…"

"Yep," Leona placed patted her friend on the back. "Real beautiful." She callously grinned and patted Pantheon one last time before shoving him off the ledge.

"You Ogre's ass!" He shouted as he fell, Leona's victory was cut short when she felt Pantheon latch onto her leg and pull her down with him.

They stumbled down the hillside, but it was not a very painful experience for two children who had to deal with pain every day of their lives. Pantheon came rolling down first, his face hitting the ground first and the rest of his body following after. "Remind me to wear a helmet for the rest of my life…" Leona slid down with her arm hitting the ground first and letting loose an enormous crack.

"Oh Gods!" Pantheon's feet slipped out from under him a few times before he struggled to get up and rush over to his friend. He propped her back against the hillside, and made sure she was breathing. She was, but her arm was twisted, her elbow seemed to no longer function and her arm just hung loose. "Leona? Oh Gods please be okay…" She didn't respond. He needed to break the arm back into place and find a splint for her, but how could he leave her to find wood for a splint like this? His thoughts were racing, when, out of nowhere Leona's body started to glow. Her face became a bright white, like a star of its own and she was encompassed in a magnificent aura. Pantheon had to shield his eyes for a brief moment and when the light had faded, Leona was perfectly fine. Her arm was no longer mangled, the bruises on her head and cut on her skin were gone, and it was if nothing had happened at all.

"Pantheon?" She stirred but her eyes seemed to hold new color to Pantheon and her voice seemed so much sweeter. Leona flickered her eyes and brushed her hair out of them to look at her friend better. "Oh Gods… Your head…" She placed a hand on his forehead.

"My head? What about you? Your arm was broken!"

"What?" Leona moved her arm back and forth, demonstrating its perfect health. "My arm is fine, your covered in blood, probably your own. Come on, there must be a water source around here to clean you off." She stood up, like it was nothing and walked. Pantheon watched her movements with awe and a sliver of concern. "What's wrong?"

"…Are you an angel?" He questioned. It was not designed to be a compliment. Leona saw the genuine confusion on his face, and Pantheon was not one to ever compliment, her of all people.

"No?"She tried to answer. "Stop looking like a gawking Macaque and get a move on."

"Right…" Pantheon nodded and followed his friend into where the trees lay. He watched her lead him, unsure of what he saw. Perhaps she was fine and he simply imagined any healing factor, or perhaps his friend was more than any of his superiors could ever imagine.

They had walked for half an hour, still no sign of water, this sanctuary must have been massive, buried beneath mountain and unknown to the entire Rakkor people. Leona walked in wonder of all the trees that surrounded them, but she was distracted by her friend. Pantheon had not said a word since they began their trek, he just seemed to be staring at the ground, which meant he was more than likely thinking, but she had no idea what he had been thinking about. Perhaps something was bothering him, but he always was able to figure things out, so it seemed best to just leave him alone for now.

"Wait," She stopped them. "Hear that?" Pantheon listened for her.

"Running water," he reported.

"We should be close, how are you feeling? The wound is starting to swell."

"I'm fine,"

"Are you sure?" She turned around to him.

"I said I'm fine Leona, I'm a soldier. I can't let a little bump on the head slow me down."

"Soldier in training," She corrected him. "The Right of Kor isn't until tomorrow."

"I know" He offered curtly.

"Perhaps we should spare while we're here, you really do need to work on some techniques." That made Pantheon cease in his steps.

"Stop speaking to me like I am a child." He said a tad more forcefully and pushed past her. Leona wanted to say something, but she had no idea why her friend was acting so strange. A few more minutes of walking and they were rewarded with a shallow, wide, river. It ran through the middle of sanctuary. The rock bed below it was full of only smooth stone and the water was clear enough to see the occasional small fish zip through the waters.

"Pantheon." Leona marched over to where he was washing off his wound in the water. "Pantheon, I did not mean to belittle you, but this attitude you're giving me is childish, I know you better than to believe that is your character. Stop acting this way and be the soldier you wish to be so desperately." Pantheon looked up from the stream, he looked at her a moment and went back to washing himself. "You're cleaning it incorrectly."

"Well we can't all be gifted can we?" He said with irritation in his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your… Glowing, thing! You have no idea what it is?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She offered, she was trying to be apologetic with her friend.

"You've never been miraculously healed? In all your life? You've never had a bone healed or bleeding stop earlier than other?"

"Never" Leona affirmed, she stared at Pantheon for a moment before he told her his tale.

"You fell, there was a snap, and your arm was so far out of place that I thought you would die from internal bleeding. I didn't know what I'd do, then, all of a sudden you get surrounded in this… Glorious light and then you're healed. I don't see any explanation for that."

"I'm sure that…" Leona looked for an explanation. "That blow to the head made the light seem a little distorted and…"

"Don't speak with a Dragon's tongue. I know what I saw, you have a gift, one that I will never have…" That's what bothered him so. He was worried that he could not compete with her in life, that he could never possibly achieve the title of Artisan if she had a gift he did not. Leona's eyes softened as he said it and she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You think I'm better than you?"

"You're already better with a shield…" Pantheon muttered. "What chance do I have of becoming the greatest warrior on the mountain if you have magical powers and great prowess?"

"I don't have magical powers," Leona smiled sweetly. If they were two years younger, she would have run her fingers over his shaven head, but in this moment, he was taller than her. "And you are better with both weapons and hand to hand than I. I think you'll have an excellent chance in the Trials of Kor." Pantheon looked down and laughed to himself a little. He realized he had been acting the child here, and he was so sure he was mature at this point in his life.

"I still have much to learn," He shrugged and looked back to his friend. "My sincerest apologizes for acting so foolish." As he said it, Pantheon felt the light tap of Leona punching him in the face.

"I accept you as you are my friend. Come here, let me tend your wound."

Leona and Pantheon sat on the stream's edge, as they let the stream's waters run over their feet. She delicately wiped some wet fabric over the swollen wound. She had seen worse on him, but it was a more severe one. "You Troll brat…" She mused as the last of the blood ran off his face.

"Me? You are the one who pushed me off a twenty foot ledge."

"Yes, but you're the one who decided to land on his head."

"Well then I would have not received your excellent care" He smiled as she finished cleaning his head wound.

"There, good as new." She smiled at her work and then took in the scenery of where they were. "It is a beautiful forest."

"Yeah…" Leona could hear the drowsiness in his voice and only just noticed the slow motions her hand had been making on his shoulder. It only took a few moments before Pantheon had fallen asleep in her arms, next to the cool waters, the scene was so peaceful it would be easy just to rest. She laid Pantheon and herself down on the grass floor and closed her eyes. A brief exhale and Leona let herself drift into sleep.

"Leona?"

"Hm?" She quickly responded to his voice, she only had just fallen asleep anyway.

"I wish to be your Solroc" It was… Unexpected.

"Why mine?" Came her response. It was perhaps the least expected thing she thought he would say, but, strangely, it was not unwelcome. "There are… Others, you are aware, others who are more talented warriors" and she sat up to face Pantheon. "Lilith has admired your skill for many moons."

"Lilith can ride a behemoth, she is not as beautiful as you."

"To bear a child now would mean the end of my warrior career."

"Then I shall wait."

"How long?"

"As long as you need me too." Pantheon answered all her questions without flinching, like he knew what he was talking about. "I simply… Cannot imagine a life deprived of you"

"The next day was the Right of Kor, and I lost you forever… Or so I thought" Pantheon recounted the events once they had left their secret garden. "I always pushed myself to be the perfect warrior and not a mindless barbarian because of you."

"And I never forgot you're… Parting action"

"Then I suppose we have both kept our promises."

"Not every promise…" She sighed and looked to the side, he knew to what she was referring. He had pledged himself to her, by the running waters and sanctioned forest, he remembered.

"We could rectify that." Pantheon said without realizes it.

"I can't. Solari can't become Solrocs"

"By honor?"

"By blood, I lack the ability to have children" Leona refused to meet his eyes as she said it. The entire purpose of the Rakkor Solroc was to conceive a child as close to perfection in a soldier as possible, without that ability, it would seem pointless to ever choose Leona as a Solroc. "I'm sorry Pantheon, the Rakkor will expect their Artisan to have the strongest of children, I cannot be yours. I am nobody's." Her voice was firm and determined to stand by her decision. "But I wanted you to know, while I went through the Solari training, the memory of us in that place, our Sanctuary, was the only thing that kept me strong." Pantheon offered no response; he simply stayed silent behind his stone face. "I'm sorry" She offered and turned to leave.

"No." Pantheon grabbed her shoulder, she tried to shrug him off, but he followed by grabbing her hand. "Leona no."

"No, what?" She insisted.

"Valorans don't have Solrocs"

"So?"

"They have this… Different custom. It's not based on children or physical strength of a mate. They call it marriage."

"If not physical strength or conception, what in the Gods' names could be the point of such an act?"

"I don't know!" Pantheon practically hollered. "I don't know, but I want to try it with you."

"Why?"

"Because you are my Solroc. Solroc is our word for 'Part of Soul' a translation most of our people have forgotten. I do not need the perfectly bred warrior from you, having you would be enough." Emotional statements were far from Pantheon's strong suit, but he'd be damned if she walked away from him. Leona did not speak, or turn to face him, she just stood while Pantheon kept her hand from removing itself from his. He saw her shoulder twitch, or shrug, it was some movement, the movements went from twitches to quivers and Pantheon was clueless as to what was happening. "Leona?" He released her hand and she slowly turned around to face him. "Leona are you injured?" He referenced her eyes.

"No you Griffon brained fool" Leona said with a smile on. "These are tears"

"Tears only appear when a pain threshold is broken"

"I… Suppose they make appearances under other circumstances as well" She laughed and touched one of the drops as it slid down her face. "I am not injured, I am elated. Now… What do Valorans generally do to celebrate a marriage?"

"I believe there is a ceremony and a kiss is shared."

"I've never been one for ceremony" She devilishly smiled before she placed a hand on his chest and wrapped the other around his neck as he ran his hands down her figure and settled at her hips.

"That suits me fine" Was all he needed to say before she pulled herself to his lips and let them collide in a long awaited embrace.

**Like a lot of stuff, I always consider if a lemon would be appropriate, but I liked this story as it was. I'm actually proud of it, so hopefully it was a good read. I have more stuff coming! Summer is almost here and then I can write til my hands fall off.**


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